Well-screen.



Ntra STATES ArnNr FFICE.

FRANK I. VVEBBER, OF OXFORD, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR OF THREEFOURTHS TO JOHN W. TRAMMEL, GEORGE H. OHRlSrl, AND NEAL A. PETTYGROVE,

OF OXFORD, NEBRASKA WELL-SCREEN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No; 691,994, datedll'anuary 28, 1902.

Y Application led July l1, 1901. Serial No. 67,922. (No model.)

T tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK I. WEBBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at OX- ford, in the county of Furnas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in VVell-Screens; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apio pertains to made and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to well-screens, and

i5 has for its object the production of an improved appliance of this character adapted for use in water or oil wells and possessing advantages in point of great strength and durability and high eflicieucy, the screen bezo ing constructed to obtain withoutliability of clogging an uninterrupted flow of water or oil, as the case may be, free from sand or other formation.

Other advantages possessed by my invention are set forth in the following description, directed to the details of construction, and in connection with such description attention is called to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is an elevation, partly broken away, of a pipe or tube section equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a 3 5 reduced elevation of the complete pipe or tube section equipped with the invention.

In the drawings, Adenote's the pipe or tube, preferably circular in cross section and threaded at its ends for connection with other 4o imperforate pipe or tube sections or casings.

Intermediate of its ends are a plurality of longitudinallyarranged slots or a, five being shown,although the number may be increased or diminished. The vertical ribs ct a between the slots and which are preferably integral with the pipe or tube section are reinforced at their inner sides, being substantially of triangular form in horizontal section. Such reinforcement obtains great strength and rigidity and more than compensates for 5o the weakening effect of the slots.

A groove b, preferably of V form in crosssection, extends spirally from end to end of the ribs a. Seated in the groove is a wire c, which in the construction of the appliance is wound spirally about the ribbed portion of ,the pipe or tube section, the ends of the wire and, if desired, the entire length being brazed, soldered, or otherwise firlnlysecnred in place. The wire is preferably of triangular form in cross-section, whereby its inner two faces or sides conform to the shape of the groove which they engage, and its outer face is flush with the im perforate end portions of the pipe or tube section. The groove b is so arranged that the coils of-wire are out of contact, thereby providing, with the slots a, orifices for the passage of the water or oil. The area of these orices will be governed by the character of the ground in which the well is located. By reference more particularly to Fig. 3 it will be observed that the triangular form of Wire employed obtains an inwardly-dared orifice, the increasing size of which absolutely prevents all clogging. Oonsequ ently the water or oil has at all times an luninterrupted How. The conformation of the wire to the V-shaped groove precludes movement and dislodgment of the coils, thereby maintaining'the area of the orifices. A

A The appliance has a very large screening capacity, which does not impair its strength and rigidity,owing to the reinforcement of the ribs. The ends of the appliance are, as be fore stated, threaded, whereby it can be ernployed as a drop-screen in tubular wells or as a part of the tube. It may be used asa dropscreen in a casing-Well or may be a' part of the main casing. Also it may serve as a drivenwell point( I claim as my invention- 1. A well-screen consisting of a tube having' intermediately of its ends longitudinal ribs and slots between the ribs, a V-shaped groove extending spirally through the outer surface of the ribs, vand a triangular-shaped wire conforming to and seated in the groove with its outer surface flush with the unslotted ing spirally through the outer surface of the l ribs, and a triangular-shaped Wire conformxo ing to and sented in the groove with its outer 1 surface flush With the tube ends, and the coils of the Wire spaced apart and providing inwardly-flared orifices.

YIn testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK I. VVEBBER.

Vitnesses:

D. D. MCINTYRE, T. B. HUFF. 

